This invention generally relates to an inductance element, and more particularly to an inductance element of the type that includes a coil bobbin engaged by a pair of pot cores and fastened together by a fastening member to form a complete inductance element.
It is known to provide a projection on a portion of one of the flanges of a coil bobbin which engages with the associated pot core for preventing undesirable turning or rotation of the coil bobbin within the pot core. In known structures, the fastening member includes a bent portion for holding the side face of the pot core, since the fastening member and the coil bobbin are independent of each other. As a result, such a conventional fastening member is costly and requires more steps in a manufacturing and assembling process.
It is also known to include terminal pins on one of the flanges of a bobbin for making connection to the inductance element. Often times, connecting conductors from the coil in the element to the pins are crowded within the structure, and short circuits may occur.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the problems noted above.
A specific object of the invention is to provide an improved inductance element which may be simply assembled for the easy positioning of the three component parts thereof, namely, the coil bobbin, the core structure and the fastening member.
These objects are achieved by utilizing a joining part on at least one of the bobbin flanges that extends outwardly from the flange and engages both the adjacent one of the pot cores and the fastening member to prevent relative rotation of the bobbin and adjacent pot core and fastening member. Additionally, one of the bobbin flanges may include a stepped part thereof, which has pins extending therefrom for making electrical connection to the inductance element. The stepped part extends parallel to the bobbin flange of which it is a part, and is joined to this latter bobbin flange by a projection perpendicular thereto. This projection preferably engages the adjacent one of the pot cores to prevent relative rotation between that pot core and the bobbin. Connection wires may be positioned within the space between the bobbin flange and the stepped part, avoiding short circuit problems. A spacer may be included on the bobbin flanges that includes the stepped part also to accommodate electrical connections and to avoid short circuit problems.
The invention will be more completely understood by reference to the following detailed description.